Frequently asked questions about Newborn Shoots

Before the shoot

Yes. I encourage this. Your baby will thank you for them one day and will never again be this tiny in your arms. Capture that memory for yourselves……..and your child. These photos can be and arms and hands and baby shots only, or portrait shots with your faces included….as you prefer.

Yes absolutely.
In the full Premier Shoot, I will happily include any siblings and/or Family photos. For school age children, I would split the shoot into 2 with one hour reserved on a weekend for the siblings and baby and 3 hours during the week for baby alone.
In the Basic Shoot, I can include siblings. However, due to the time constraints with this shoot, I will ONLY ALLOW 30 minutes in which to achieve the sibling shots. If after this time, these shots have not been achieved, the siblings will need to leave the studio to enable sufficient time for shots to be taken of the newborn baby. The Basic Newborn Shoot is not suitable for School Age children as these are ONLY done during the week…………unless we can work around school holidays.

Newborn Shoots are best done within the first 2 weeks when babies are sleepy and more flexible. During these first few weeks, babies are still in the sleepy newborn phase.. This means they go into a very deep sleep and can be more easily moved and manipulated into position. They have been used to being curled up in the womb and so are easier to curl up and position. They are more floppy in this stage….muscle tone at this stage increases with every day. Further after the 2 week period babies have a growth spurt and are generally more restless. Around 2-6 weeks is also the stage at which all the milk spots an appear on their faces…..and while this can be dealt with to some degree by editing in Photoshop……it makes the editing process more of a challenge. If your baby is born prematurely, then this window of opportunity is longer. I have done newborn type shoots right up to 7 or 8 weeks though, but have to use different props and to do less challenging poses. I am always prepared to try to do a newborn-like shoot in the 2-8 week period if I have the space to fit you in. So please don’t feel you have missed the opportunity if your baby is older than the preferred 2 weeks. I will always try to squeeze in a Newborn Shoot into my diary. I will always do my very best to be able to capture images of baby in these first few weeks.

Newborn Shoots are best booked while you are still pregnant. I take booking only after 12 weeks but usually recommend that you get in touch at least by your 20 week scan in order to be assured of a space in the diary. Due to the unpredictable nature of newborn photography, I always need to have a little wiggle room in my diary to ensure that all pre-booked babies can be accommodated whether they arrive early or are overdue. As a result, I need to limit the number of bookings I take for any week/month so that I know I will have space for your baby when it is born.

When you book your Newborn Shoot, I reserve a space for you in my diary around the time of your due date, but the actual date is only confirmed once baby arrives. So don’t worry about when baby arrives! Pre-booking though does guarantee that I will be able to offer you a space within the crucial first 2 weeks and allows me to juggle my diary to fit all expected babies in. You would then just need to notify me of baby’s birth within 24-48 hours.

During the shoot

WOW! I LOVE a twin photo shoot! Even though it can be such hard work with 2 babies. And no, I charge the same price for twins as I do for a single baby. With a twin pregnancy, due dates are even less reliable that with single baby and most twins are likely to arrive early. I would do a twin shoot as soon as possible after both babies are home and well enough. Twins are generally smaller and because of this and an earlier arrival, the time frame in which to photograph them at the optimal newborn stage is usually longer than the normal 2 weeks. Just keep me updated on your and their progress along the way.

Further, just to add, I am a qualified Midwife and a qualified Neonatal ICU Nurse and so I have worked with pre-term newborns a great deal of my life. I am very comfortable handling tiny babies safely.

I generally photograph babies naked or with nappies on but covered. You do not need to bring any clothing for baby. Most newborn clothing is too big for new babies, so please don’t worry to bring any clothes. I do also have a lot of specially designed newborn photography outfits like tutus and lacey rompers for girls and little trousers, dungarees and hat sets for boys. When babies have no nappy on, I am quite prepared for little accidents. In fact I expect them to! I have flat nappy liners and a working washing machine and expect to do a little cleaning up.

I usually do these shots on a Black Background. Black is always very flattering, especially if you are feeling a little self conscious of you post baby body. You would need to bring/wear black trousers and tops for this. I do though have Men’s plain T-shirts with no logos for your partner…… Or, he may want to consider photos with no shirt? Skin to skin photos with your baby do look lovely.
I do have some other background options if you would prefer and can also use a Grey, Cream Or Caramel/Beige background. You would need to provide clothing suitable. Please discuss with me if you prefer one of these choices. I can assist you with colour choice options for clothing and send you examples of these colour backgrounds to assist with your choice.

Your photos will be ready to view in 2-3 weeks from your shoot date. I will be in touch to arrange your Viewing/Ordering session which will take place in the studio. You will choose the photos you wish to purchase and I will be there to help you choose the right products to suit your budget and home.